1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering column device provided with a jacket supporting a steering shaft rotatably.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-46623 and Published Japanese Translation of PCT International Publication No. 2005-525958 disclose steering column devices of the related art, each of which includes a jacket supporting a steering shaft rotatably, a jacket guide configured to guide the jacket, and a lock mechanism configured to lock the jacket by tightening a clamp bolt.
As shown in FIG. 1, a steering column device 100 disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-46623 includes a steering shaft 101 to which a steering wheel (not shown) is to be fixed, a jacket 102 supporting the steering shaft 101 rotatably, a mount bracket 103 supporting the jacket 102 from both sides, a clamp bolt 104 penetrating the mount bracket 103 and the jacket 102, and a lock mechanism 105 configured to fasten and fix the jacket 102 to the mount bracket 103 by tightening the clamp bolt 104.
In the above-described configuration, when an operating lever 106 is rotated in a locking direction, the bolt 104 is pulled leftward in FIG. 1 by an action of the lock mechanism 105, whereby the jacket 102 is supported from both sides by the mount bracket 103, whereby the jacket 102 is locked to the mount bracket 103. Subsequently, when the operating lever 106 is rotated in an unlocking direction, the bolt 104 is released from the state of being pulled by the lock mechanism 105, and moves to the right side in FIG. 1 to release the state of locking the jacket 102 to the mount bracket 103.
As shown in FIG. 2, a steering column device 110 disclosed in Published Japanese Translation of PCT International Publication No. 2005-525958 includes a steering shaft 111 with an upper end in an axial direction to which a steering wheel (not shown) is to be fixed, a jacket 112 supporting the steering shaft 111 rotatably, a jacket bracket 113 attached on the jacket 112, a jacket guide 115 disposed between the jacket bracket 113 and the mount bracket 114 and configured to guide the jacket bracket 113, and a lock mechanism 117 configured to fasten and fix the jacket guide 115 to the mount bracket 114 by tightening a clamp bolt 116.
In the above-described configuration, when an unillustrated operating lever is rotated in a locking direction, the bolt 116 is pulled downward in FIG. 2 by an action of the lock mechanism 117, whereby the jacket guide 115 is locked to the mount bracket 114. Subsequently, when the operating lever is rotated in an unlocking direction, the bolt 116 moves upward in FIG. 2 by a lock release of the lock mechanism 117 to release the locked state of the jacket guide 115 to the mount bracket 114.